Shaving Off Seven Years
by Mayeri
Summary: Summary: In a ruthless battle against the marines, Zoro is hit with an experimental gas that reverts him back into his 14-year-old self. Zoro x Straw Hat Pirates
1. Chapter 1: A Typical Day

Mayeri

08/04/2013

One Piece

**Shaving Off Seven Years**

_Chapter 1: A Typical Day_

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Summary: In a ruthless battle against the marines, Zoro is hit with an experimental gas that reverts him back into his 14-year-old self. Zoro x Straw Hat Pirates

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"_Have you succeeded in your experiments?"_

"_We-well, if I had a-a little more time… I-I would know for sure the gas wi-will be ready…"_

"_How much time?"_

"_Ma-maybe a f-few months or so, sir…"_

"_We don't have that kind of time!"_

"_Hii! I-I understand, b-but-"_

"_Load the product onto the warships now."_

"_B-but sir! I ca-can't guarantee success!"_

"_**You dare defy me?"**_

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The sun shone magnificently in the clear, blue sky. The verdant grass on the Sunny-Go rustled lightly in the soft wind. It was the perfect day to be lazy, according to Zoro. After exercising a great deal since morning, it was like the sun itself was telling Zoro to sit down and take a nap.

There was no harm done. Luffy and Usopp were playing card games on the other side of the ship, so they weren't going to bother him any time soon. Brook was talking to Robin about the history of panties. Franky was tweaking a few parts on Little Merry. Chopper was organizing his medical book collection. The sea witch was drawing up her maps. Even the ero-cook was busy preparing lunch.

'_And the ship was safe,' _he thought.

The waves washing up and crashing against the Sunny were music to Zoro's ears, and he settled down in his favorite spot on the tingly grass, crossing his arms behind his head, and slowly slipped into slumber.

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"Usopp! I declare it's too quiet on this ship!" Luffy stated, abruptly throwing down his cards and standing up. "I think we need to liven it up!"

"Of course you would say something like this when I'm finally winning! Admit it, you are cowering under the great Go-Fish player, King Usopp… Hey! Luffy, listen to me!" Usopp huffed as Luffy ran off to the other side of the deck.

"Let's go see if Zoro's sleeping! Shishishishi!"

Usopp sighed and put his cards down. He sluggishly followed Luffy, stretching a few numb limbs and wondering about the relationship between his captain and their unofficial-official first mate. No matter how many times Zoro would chase them away for waking him up, Luffy would continue to bother the swordsman when he got bored.

'_It not like Zoro plays with us either,' _Usopp thought.

He rounded the corner just in time to see Luffy rocket his rubber self onto Zoro's sleeping form. _Pfft_. Wait for it…

"LUFFY! I'M GONNA' CUT YOU UP!" an angry Zoro yelled, two swords now in hand. He sported a large, red bump on his head where he tumbled into the railing with his rubber captain's arms and legs tightly wrapped around him.

Luffy laughed as he ran over to Usopp, a broad and toothy smile on his face.

"Shishishi, we're playing sword-tag again! Watch out for Zoro's swords Usopp, they're sharp!"

'_And a circle is round,' _Usopp thought_._

Usopp immediately shook his sarcastic head but started to run anyways. Because when playing sword-tag, one must remember _**Zoro is never playing**_.

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"Quit jumping me Luffy!" Zoro snapped. He'd finally given up chasing Usopp and Luffy and stomped off to the Crow's Nest.

'_But, it was fun while it lasted,' _Luffy laughed in his head.

He wiped off the sweat accumulating on his brow before turning to look out onto the vast sea.

"Hey, Usopp… are those ships?" Luffy asked, squinting at the multiple dots racing towards the Sunny.

Usopp rummaged through his red satchel until he found his binoculars. Taking a look through them, the first thing he saw was the large marine sign painted on the sail of one of the _warships._

"Sh-shit! Luffy, they're not ships, they're marine warships! W-we need to alert everyone!" Usopp stuttered, sprinting into the close-by kitchen first to get Sanji.

But, that action wasn't needed with their captain standing in the middle of the deck. He took a big breath before shouting, "OI, EVERYONE! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! ALL HANDS ON DECK!"

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The Straw Hats fought hard. They had to admit, the marines' numbers overwhelmed them. After everyone appeared on deck, the warships had the Sunny-Go surrounded in a matter of minutes. Marine soldiers continuously piled onto the ship, attacking the Straw Hats from every side.

"Come're, little lady!" one of them yelled, charging towards Nami.

Nami scoffed, "Please, as if you even have a chance."

This surprise attack caused her to stop working on her maps. And Luffy's obnoxious voice caused her to spill her ink.

'_Oh Luffy, after this, I will beat you to death and raise your debt,' _she grumbled.

In one swift motion, Nami twirled her Clima-Tact and released her Thunderbolt tempo on the poor, clueless marine.

"Strong Right!"

"Franky Boxing!"

Franky knocked another set of marines into the sea, huffing a bit. It wasn't like the marines were strong enough to be a challenge, but the numbers were hurting him; he was quickly depleting his cola, and if he didn't replenish himself quickly, things could get ugly.

"Yohohoho!"

Brook zoomed through the marines with his humming swordplay. He even scared a few with his skeletal appearance. It had been a while since their last fight with the marines; it was a great chance to brush up on some techniques.

"Hanauta Sancho: Yahazu Giri," he hummed to himself, gliding through another group of marines.

"Shishishi! This is what you get for barging onto my ship!" Luffy laughed as he easily knocked out Marines and created piles around him.

Zoro sighed, pulling the black bandana off of his head. There wasn't a reason to get serious with Luffy and, though he'll never admit it out loud, Sanji here. Matter of fact, everyone was a lot stronger than they were before. It just made no sense why the marines would try and surprise attack them now. They knew how strong the crew was and Zoro didn't sense any massive power of an admiral or vice-admiral in the vicinity.

'… _What is the real reason for this attack?' _he thought.

Zoro sighed again. He never really liked to over-think things. Or think for that matter. And there was the possibility this was only a dumb attack. He was about to discard the idea…

Until something caught his eye. A couple of marines were loading a cannon at the top of a warship. Only, the ammo looked nothing like a cannonball. The object was egg-shaped and tan-colored. Crossbones and a skull were painted on it. And there was some writing as well, but Zoro's eyes weren't that great. But, what he did notice was that they were aiming that thing at his clueless captain.

'_So, all this boring fighting was a front!'_

Reflexively, Zoro dashed towards Luffy. He pushed Luffy into the railing, on the other side of the ship, looking up just in time to meet face to face with the egg-shaped ammo.

'_Shit.'_

The object knocked him back into one of the Sunny's wooden pillars. He was quickly engulfed in a strange gas. Zoro accidentally inhaled the gas and coughed. His arms and legs felt like lead. His heart beat extremely fast. His eyes clouded over and rolled into the back of his head without his consent. He could feel the weird gas seep into his skin instead of disperse in the air. But Zoro stayed conscious. He wasn't going to let this finish him. He was stronger than that. Pushing his muscles to the limit, Zoro attempted to stand up, but failed miserably and fell flat on his face.

"Zoro!"

"Stupid Marimo!"

"Zoro-bro!"

"Wah, we need a doctor! We need a doctor!"

"Doctor-san that would be you."

Chopper instantly stopped frantically running around and dropped his jaw in realization. He hastily transformed into his human form and carefully picked Zoro up.

"We need to get out of here so I can treat Zoro without any marine distractions! Luffy eep-" Chopper was taken back when Luffy appeared in front of him, staring down at the unconscious swordsman in his arms.

"…"

"Luffy… we-I… you know there's no time-"

"Franky. Coup de burst." Luffy commanded in a serious tone. His hat concealed his eyes. Even though you couldn't see them, you could feel his Haki rumbling. Luffy was angry.

As Franky darted into the ship to make preparations, Luffy and co. quickly defeated the rest of the marines on the ship. Chopper took the chance to take Zoro to the infirmary and set him down on the bed.

"Don't worry Zoro, I'll cure you no matter what."

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"…What?" Nami broke the silence, utterly confused.

After getting away from the marines, everyone piled into the infirmary to see how Zoro was doing. But they did not expect to see Chopper frantically pacing around in a circle or the sight lying on the bed.

There lay Roronoa Zoro, or that was what Chopper told them. A young boy snored quietly in an over-sized, green coat always worn by their precious swordsman. His grass green hair fell in layers down to his neck, and his skin was a creamy beige color and barely kissed by the sun. His small lips opened and closed slightly with each exhale. His arms and legs were far slender than either of the Straw Hat girls. The young boy's back arched in his sleep.

"This… is Zoro?" Nami spoke slowly and Chopper nodded.

"I helplessly watched him shrink in this bed, an obvious effect of the cannonball gas that seeped into his skin. It is still a mystery to me how the gas did this though." Chopper explained sadly. He bit his lip in disappointment. "But, don't worry! I will cure Zoro no matter what!"

"Nngh…"

Eight heads all snapped towards the sound that emerged from the infirmary bed. A squirm followed. A twitch of the right hand ensued. Beautiful emerald eyes snapped open as the boy lying on the bed slowly sat up. The large, green coat slid down his small shoulders and pooled around his narrow waist, revealing two perky pink nipples.

"Mm, where… am I?" a tired voice asked as a hand rubbed one of those emerald eyes, trying to whisk away the sleepy feelings.

"Zoro! You're awake! How do you feel?" Chopper asked frantically, running straight up to the bed and staring at the younger swordsman intently.

The boy blinked twice. Then, he raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know raccoons could talk…" he said subconsciously, "_Wait._"

The boy finally snapped out of his daze and jumped back against the bed's headboard, kneeling. Wado Ichimoji was half drawn from its hilt as the boy narrowed his eyes at the stunned group.

"Who are all of you? Where did that grannie go… _and what happened to my clothes_?!"

A dark blush spread like wildfire from the boy's cheeks as he placed Wado back into its hilt to pull the slipping coat and green boxers back around his lean body.

Confused silence danced through the air once more until Luffy stepped up.

"What are you talking about Zoro? We are your nakama," he said and the younger swordsman's widened eyes.

"What are _you_ talking about? I don't have nakama! I've been travelling alone for almost two years," the boy answered warily.

Luffy shook his head, "We are nakama."

Zoro didn't know what to do, let alone think. He was just settling in Grannie's house for the night since she was so kind to let him stay on his journey and then he wakes up on some random ship! And now there was this weird guy telling him that they are friends?!

'_But, for some reason, my body is naturally relaxing, as if it trusts him,' _he thought.

"Yeah Zoro-bro! Whatever happened, you can't forget us!"

"Maybe too many blows to the head caused brain damage, Moss-head."

"Well, it seems Mr. Swordsman reverted back into a child."

"Wha? If Zoro's a child, who's gonna' protect the ship!? I-I guess the brave Captain Usopp wi-will have to step up!"

"Yohohoho, this is interesting, I can't believe my eyes. Ah, wait, I don't have eyes!"

Zoro. Yes, that was his name. Though he never met such strange people (or skeletons or raccoons) in his life, they all seemed to know him. Before he could utter another opposing complaint, one look at the Straw Hat boy kept his mouth shut; that guy was completely serious. He wasn't joking at all.

"I…" Zoro started, gripping the large coat around his body, "I don't know what's going on. But, I feel like I can trust you weirdos? Ergh, I don't know what I'm saying…"

Luffy lifted his hat from shielding his eyes, revealing inviting eyes and bright-and-toothy smile. In one swift movement, the captain collided with the kid swordsman, wrapping his rubbery limbs around him in a 'Luffy Hug'.

"Shishishishi, of course you can trust us! We're nakama after all!"

"Luffy! Don't bother Zor—err, the younger version of Zoro! I still need to figure out how that gas caused such an effect," Chopper yelled at his clingy captain.

"Wah, why not? He's finally awake! Now we can play!" Luffy laughed, his hold on the small boy only tightened, until a large blow to the head caused him to recoil.

"Baka! Does everything look okay to you? He's still a little boy!" Nami shouted irritably.

"My, Swordsman-san is indeed adorable as a child." Robin giggled, placing one hand over her mouth in a ladylike fashion.

Regaining his breath, Zoro glared at the giggling archeologist, "I'm not a child! I'm fourteen-years-old! And I'm going to be the greatest swordsman in the world!"

The Straw Hat crew looked at each other before cracking smiles.

"We already knew that!"


	2. Chapter 2: Shopping with the Girls

Mayeri

08/12/2013

One Piece

**Shaving Off Seven Years**

_Chapter 2: Shopping with the Girls_

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-Zoro's POV-

… Where the hell am I?

I was traveling and stopped upon a dying town. I was already tired and hungry because some guy gave me the wrong directions and made me walk for two days instead of two hours. And it was the wrong town. Some people just can't give directions.

Luckily, living in the house on the end of the town, there was this really nice grandma who brought me into her house and let me stay the night. The following day I was going to take a boat to the next island. But, somehow I ended up on a ship owned by the Straw Hat Pirates—whoever they were.

And they're all weird. There's a raccoon who claims he is a reindeer and the ships doctor. He's really fluffy and looks like he'd taste good barbecued. His name is Chopping, I think. Then there's a humongous robot that wears panties. He's supposedly the shipwright and stores cola in his stomach. He creeps me out. I think his name is Tranky. And then there's this laughing skeleton. I mean, a living skeleton! He's the musician and tells bad jokes. His name is Books. Next is-

"I already can tell you don't remember our names, even after we took our time beating them into your head," the orange-haired woman with the big breasts sighed. She's a real witch with a diamond-hard fist. Her name is Nami, no mistake. If I could push her overboard, I would.

"I remember!" I huffed, crossing my arms.

I guess I should be thankful for that woman since she shooed everyone away from me. They kept poking my cheeks and fluffing my hair. And that raccoon kept conducting checkups. The only ones who stayed away were the blonde cook and the other chick. The cook is funny looking because he has a swirly eyebrow. I wonder how he got it so swirly.

"M-hmm. Well, we are about to land on a new island with a lot of shops and tourist areas. You, Robin, and I are going to go look for some clothes for you. Chopper and Sanji-kun are going to restock our medical and food storage. Everyone else will **stay on the ship.**" Nami told me, but it was obvious she was reminding the captain who was told to stop playing with my hair.

I looked down. Because the green coat was too big for me, Robin had trimmed one of the shirts that belonged to their swordsman (who apparently is me?) and gave it to me. Honestly, I still don't understand the whole 'you're our swordsman' claim. A red sash was wrapped loosely around my waist. It looks like a fucking dress, and I think that's what she was going for. But besides that, Robin seems really mature and ladylike. She's the ship's archeologist and doesn't strive to get on my nerves.

"Why can't I just wear this? I don't want to go shopping with a bunch of girls," I replied.

_'Plus, I want to leave this ship when we get to the next island.' _I thought to myself.

It really was too weird. Not only the people, but I also own two new swords I don't remember having. The pirates didn't even need to tell me that they belonged to me either. I just felt like I owned the swords. I squeezed the hilt of Kuina's sword.

'_And one of them thirsts for blood. It's definitely cursed.'_

"Because. Do you really want to continue walking around the ship in nothing but a big shirt and belt? It's already slipping off your shoulder again," she mused and I grumbled, pulling the shirt back up.

Nami took a seat on the soft grass, beside me. I cringed thinking she was going to hit me again, though that was not the case. A small hand found its way on the top of my head, slowly ruffling my green hair.

"Hmm… I never thought your hair was so soft," she chuckled.

I growled and swatted her hand away from me. _'What is with these people and being so touchy-feely?'_

"Ha-ha, sorry. It's just… the older you never really let any of us get so close. It's a nice change."

That was another weird thing. I quickly scrambled to my feet and ran to the railing, away from that person. '_Why was I allowing these people to get so close to me?' _I thought, completely brushing off the 'older you' comment. I didn't know any of them. Even on my travels, I kept my distance from people, never letting me get attached. Even when they were as nice as that grannie, I still instinctively kept my distance.

_'But…' _I bit my lip and touched the top of my head, _'I can't stop myself from relaxing when I am around these damn strangers! I gotta' leave as soon as possible!'_

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-Nami's POV-

"Alright, we're off! Everyone, stay safe!" I exclaimed, waving my hand from the dock. Robin smiled on my right. Zoro grumbled, rubbing a fresh red bump on his head. That's what he gets for defying me.

Sanji and Chopper were going to leave after Chopper finished coming up with a list of medical supplies.

_'Hmm… I didn't see Luffy up there. He's probably sulking in a corner… hopefully.'_

I grabbed Zoro's hand and tugged him down the dock and towards the town. His hands were about the size of mine! Seriously, when imagining our meat-head fourteen years old, I expected to see a _meat-head_! Who gains all that muscle in a matter of five years… then doubles up in a matter of two years?

"O-oi! I can walk by myself!" he protested, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Kids must stay close or they'll get lost," I snickered. _'Something you do on a daily basis.'_

And I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity to get close and learn something about our swordsman. I can't put my finger on it, but for some reason, he doesn't have the same guard up as he would when he was older. He's relaxed around us.

The streets were bustling and full of life, and it wasn't even nighttime. The shops looked inviting, but I could smell a scam a mile away.

"Why not try this store first?" Robin politely suggested, pointing to a small building named _Jeunesse_. It gave off a laid back feeling with its calm store colors. The store looked like something shipped from a foreign country, sporting clothing for children.

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a child?!"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's see how much we can get off of this guy."

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-Robin's POV-

Eagerly, a tall-and-lanky gentleman strode up to us as soon as Swordsman-san walked into the store. He had slanted eyes that narrowed towards Zoro's small figure, a pleased smile dashed across his face.

"Hello beautiful ladies and young one, I am Hoshoku, the store manager. How may I help you today?" Hoshoku rubbed his hands together, never looking away from Zoro (who, in return, paid no attention to him), "Are you perhaps looking for clothes for this delectable young man?"

"Uh, sure. Anything will do, but we are on a strict budget," Nami answered, eyeing the man suspiciously.

"That is not a problem. The store is actually having a 50% off sale today!"

No doubt, this man was a predator; and he set his sights on Swordsman-san. Navigator-san seemed to have noticed, but she might use it to her advantage to receive a good deal.

'_I hope Zoro-san does not get eaten up by this hungry man,' _I thought grimly before glancing down at the object of affection.

It was understandable how he could attract such types of people. His slim body is easy on the eyes and his layered hair caresses his face almost perfectly. He has yet to hit puberty. It is hard to tell if his workout sessions are as strenuous as his older self's, considering how his arms and legs show no signs of forming muscles.

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-Nami's POV-

"I already said I don't want anything," Zoro sighed. Ugh, he was being bratty again.

"You are not going to wear that for the rest of you life—or at least until Chopper can counter the gas' symptoms. So deal with it!" I snapped, pushing an outfit into his chest and shoving him into a dressing room.

'_Sheesh, it wasn't like I wanted to spend money on new clothes!' _I grumbled in my head, _'So much for getting some sentiment out of this little trip!'_

I glanced back at Robin who seated herself in one of the available chairs, reading a history book she brought from the ship. I sighed and plopped myself down in the chair adjacent to her.

"Ah, we were all wondering what Zoro was like when he was younger. I mean, he never shares anything about his past, family, or love life; it makes me feel like he doesn't trust us," I said and rested my chin on the back of my hand. "And if Luffy knows anything, he doesn't say."

Robin giggled, "You seem very interested in Swordsman-san."

Reflexively, I stood up, waving my hands and shaking my head. I could feel the burn of a blush on my cheeks.

"No! I'm just curious! What about you, Robin? Aren't you just a little bit curious too?"

Robin stopped giggling abruptly, but continue to smile slightly, "I am quite interested in his background that is not told through rumors and marines, as I am interested in the rest of the crews' stories and pasts. However, if he does not wish to share, I will not push him. I respect his boundaries."

I sat back into my chair. Robin had a pretty rough past, so I can understand her perspective. _'I guess I didn't have the perfect family either,' _I thought, softly touching the improved tattoo on my arm.

Instantly, the dressing room door opened up. Zoro walked out, attaching his swords to his belt. He sported a tight pistachio-colored shirt and baggy dark green shorts held up by two black suspenders; a dark jacket was tied loosely around his hips. He rolled up his black bandana, acting as a headband in his hair and pushing most of his bangs out his face to tumble down the back of his neck. His small feet fit perfectly in the black lace-up ankle boots I picked out for him.

My eyes shined; I knew it! My fashion sense has never been wrong. Personality aside, he's still cute!

"Ugh, I don't want to do this anymore… this shopping thing," Zoro mumbled, looking completely drained after trying on just one outfit.

Well, it didn't matter if he tried on more clothes since I had a sense of what would look good on him. For the next hour or so, I had picked out a week's worth of clothing and was currently bargaining with that perverted manager at the cash register.

"Miss, please. You cannot have all of these imported, designer clothes for 5,000 beli! They are worth at least 15,000 beli with the 50% sale!" Hoshoku argued frustrated.

"Pah-lease! This cheap clothing will probably tear easily, definitely not worth 15,000 beli!" I scoffed. _'Jeez, why was this guy so hard to haggle? I bet if Zoro—ah, that's it!'_

I started to call out Zoro's name, but instantly stopped when I saw him curled up on Robin's lap, sleeping. Robin's eye twinkled a bit and an idea popped in my head.

"Alright, let's make a deal. 5,000 beli for the clothes and-"

"That's not going to happen-"

"You didn't let me finish. 5,000 beli and I'll let you take two pictures of our lovable swordsman's sleeping face," I finished, a smirk finding its way upon my face.

'_Sorry Zoro! But once you turn back to normal, you won't have to worry!'_

Hoshoku bit his lip. His wild eyes kept looking at the scene behind me before he bowed his head in defeat.

"Do not let a word of this leave this shop."

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"Ha-ha, I should take you shopping with me more often!" I grinned, thinking about all the beli we saved. We left the shop, trying not to stare at the manager holding both photos in his quivering hands, panting and blushing.

"Nngh, no," Zoro rubbed his sleepy eyes with the back of his hands, "What took so long?"

"Oh, no reason in particular. Hey, do you want some ice cream? Now, that I think about it, have you had anything to eat since you've woken up?" I asked. Even though Sanji wouldn't let anyone go hungry, no matter what, everything was sort of thrown off balance and I know our food supply was damaged in the fight with the marines.

_Growl!_

I guess he was hungry.

"Alright, let's eat there before we go back to the ship," I chuckled and pointed at a small restaurant in the middle of the town called _Blue Crab_.

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"_Report."_

"_Y-yes, sir. D-due to m-miscalculations, the g-gas bomb missed the t-target…"_

"_What?! Why didn't it hit that Straw Hat brat?"_

"_*Gulp* Y-yes, it s-seems Ro-roronoa Zoro sacrificed himself by switching pl-places with Str-straw Hat Luffy in th-the knick of t-time."_

"_Dammit. Were the effects successful on Roronoa?"_

"_I-I am n-not sure… s-since the gas was made f-for devil fruit users to revert ba-back to the t-time before they ate th-the fruit… B-but, it seems he has reverted into his f-fourteen-year-old self. *Hands picture*"_

"… _Bring me Roronoa Zoro."_

"_Wh-what? Wh-why sir?"_

"_**Immediately."**_

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-Robin's POV-

The _Blue Crab_ seemed to be a five-star seafood restaurant for incoming travelers. We were seated fairly quickly considering the long waiting line and ordered as soon as we sat down.

"Err, I'm sorry, but we cannot serve alcohol to an underage traveler," the waiter told a frustrated Swordsman-san.

"Why not? I can hold my liquor. No harm done."

"Why? Because I'll get fired for breaking the law!"

"Zoro, just get some juice or something. You're a kid right? He'll take milk," Navigator-san interjected.

"I don't want any fucking milk!"

"Milk it is! I will be right back with your orders," the waiter bowed before sprinting away from the table.

"O-oi!"

"It seems this part of Zoro hasn't changed no matter how young he is," I smiled and Zoro sunk in the booth beside me.

"The royal scumbags at the castle gave me sake. I don't understand this island and its drinking laws," he huffed and crossed his arms.

Nami's ears perked up, "Castle? What do you mean castle? You royalty or something?"

A 'and you had the audacity to make me pay for your clothes' comment went unheard but clearly shone in her cat-like eyes.

"What? No, I've been held up in a snow country ever since I started traveling. These royal brothers let me stay in their castle, but then they wouldn't let me leave. They were acting weird, so I killed one of the brothers, injured the other, and escaped," Swordsman-san explained in a blunt tone and Navigator-san smacked his head.

"What! I was exiled, but it's not like I want to go back to that country anyways," he mumbled.

"Ah, it's a good thing this happened seven years ago," Nami sighed, massaging her temples.

_'That may not be the case depending on which snow country it was,' _I thought.

"Do you remember what the country was named?" I asked.

Zoro scratched the back of his head, "Um, Arenthia or something like that."

The Arenthians are well known for their long-lasting grudges and brutal torture chambers. _'I hope Swordsman-san does not get caught and tortured endlessly.'_

The rest of the meal was eaten in light conversation. It didn't seem like the swordsman's style, but he engaged in quite a conversation with Navigatior-san. He smiled a fair amount. Navigator-san seemed to be enjoying her as well, sliding her unfinished sake towards the enthusiastic Swordsman-san.

Well, when you are younger, it is easier to let go of your worries, even for a little while. His burdens must have piled up overtime, hardening his personality.

"Buhahaha!" Zoro burst out laughing and Nami snickered slightly.

"Hmm, are you enjoying yourself Swordsman-san?" I asked with a knowing smile.

Zoro quieted down, glancing between the glass of sake and me. A small blush colored his light cheeks and I giggled lightly, "… a little."

To remember moments like these were nice, especially when the days become too hard to bear.

By the time we finished eating, the sun had set. Nami reluctantly paid the bill and we exited the restaurant in a comfortable silence.

"Well, lookie here! What're two fine~ women walkin' round at night?" three men sauntered out of the shadows. They reeked of alcohol, kicking empty bottles out of their way. Their clothes were dirty, and their faces were flushed.

"Is it a crime to be so beautiful?" Nami sighed and placed a hand on her cheek; her eyes twinkled with innocence and a twinge of annoyance.

Swordsman-san stepped out from my side, stopping in front of the both of us. His face held a deadpanned expression.

"Ah? What's with the brat?" one of the guys scoffed, "Oi, if you don't run along home to mommy, I can't guarantee you'll leave with your arms attached."

Zoro's eyebrow twitched with that comment. He softly touched Wado but unsheathed Kitetsu instead.

"…"

"Hey, Zoro, we can handle ourselves. You don't need to be bother with a bunch of bald drunkards," Navigator-san spoke, loud enough for our company to hear.

"What'd you say, bitch?!"

The drunken men lunged forward, but slowly came to a stop when what felt like a gust of wind passed them by. Zoro appeared behind them, Kitetsu half-sheathed.

_Shing!_

"Gah!" Three large X's appeared on the drunken men's chests. They tumbled to the ground.

"Ah, now he's done it," Nami shook her head in a façade of disappointment, "Well, we better get back to the ship since we need to leave in the morning. Come on… Zoro?"

I quickly scanned the area to find it swordsman-less.

_'Hmm, was this his objective in the first place?'_

.

-Zoro's POV-

I didn't expect that to work. But now, I've finally escaped that ship! A small smirk graced my features as I ran through the town's streets. Sidewalks were light up by colorful streetlights, beckoning travelers to come out from their hotels and enjoy the nightlife.

I rounded the corner, just in time to smash into something rubbery. I fell flat on my butt.

"Oi, watch it—oh. Shit," I cursed, looking up at the rubbery captain himself, who was snacking on meat.

"Oh, Zoro! Whatcha doing out here so late? We better get back to the ship before Nami gets mad, shishishi!" he laughed before swallowing up the rest of the meat.

_'Seriously? What luck I have to run into the captain who is supposed to be on the ship?'_

I sighed, trying to think up some excuse, "Err, I wanted to play a game before we got back… but Nami and Robin got lost so I can't find them. Why don't we play hide and go seek?"

Luffy stared at me for what seemed to be the longest time before cracking a wide smile and jumping up in the air, "Yeah! You never want to play with me! Let's play!"

I picked myself off the ground, patting the dirt off my shorts, "Alright, I'll go hide first. Count to a hundred."

As soon as the Straw Hat boy turned around, I sprinted off in a random direction. Anywhere but there would've been fine. They were nice people, and really fun too… but I can't be held up. I shook my head to clear it of any wavering thoughts. I needed to become the greatest swordsman for Kuina. For me.

Rounding another corner, I spotted the start of a forest. _'Bingo.'_

But, before I could even step foot on the dirty topsoil, elastic arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

'_Shit, how did he—uwah!'_

My feet were lifted clean off the ground. Air swooshed around me as my body lurched backwards twenty feet. I thought I was going to throw up. _'What the hell is this?'_

My back collided into something hard and warm.

"Shishishi, I caught you! Now, let's go back to the ship." I was lifted up and over his shoulder, my eyes still swirling.

"Ugh… I'm going to kill you… one day…"

"You _always _say that!"


	3. Chapter 3: A Morning with Swirly

Mayeri

08/17/2013

One Piece

**Shaving Off Seven Years**

_Chapter 3: A Morning with Swirly_

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**A/N:** Hi everyone, and thanks for reading this story. Truth be told, I only started this to create outfits for a younger Zoro. And I was curious as to how he would act if he were a little younger than the rest of the crew.

I appreciate the reviews (you don't have to review; I'm just glad there are readers)! And I wasn't planning on having any pairings, just for the crew to get closer, I guess.

I'll be honest with you; I'm not really sure where this story's going because I created it on a whim. So, thanks for sticking with it so far! :)

.

-Sanji's POV-

It was day three of the crazy mess with that shitty swordsman. Did you know I couldn't even call him a Marimo anymore? His hair was still grass green, but it lost the funny, mossy shape. It actually looked damn glossy and soft in its layered texture. _Che._

I stretched, emerging from the men's quarters. The Sun had barely risen into the sky, and I had to prepare the girls' morning refreshments.

'_At least Nami-swan's charming cuteness and Robin-chwan's mature beauty haven't changed one bit,' _I thought, sighing in happiness as I brought out their refreshments in a twirling dance.

I hopped up the steps to the outdoor chairs and table where my ladies had seated themselves… plus one clean brat.

Zoro's ensemble—or the ensemble the ladies forced him into—started with a creamy beige ¾-sleeve shirt with rolled cuffs. Accompanying the cloth was a black, lace-up corset spanning from his ribcage to his stomach to accent his small waist and the curve of his hips. Dark, rolled up shorts with a jeans texture exposed his smooth thighs while the black knee-high boots hugged his calves. His signature swords were attached to his belt.

But that wasn't important. This shitty swordsman was sleeping in Nami-swan's lap! He dared to lay his damn head on her beautiful bosoms! He dared to get close to my ladies!

"Ah, good morning Sanji-kun. Do you like the outfit I put together? Zoro sure gave me a hard time today," Nami-swan giggled, resting her chin on top of the sleeping swordsman's head.

"Good morning Cook-san," Robin-chwan smiled enchantingly, looking up from her morning newspaper.

Keeping my killing intent at a minimum, I bowed and placed Robin-san's coffee and Nami-san's tea (along with some special mini parfaits I whipped up) on the table, "What a lovely morning it is, my sweets!"

"Oh, Sanji-kun. Can you bring out something for Zoro too?"

"… Why, of course! Anything for _you_, Nami-swan!"

_ 'I will kill this brat.'_

.

-Zoro's POV-

I couldn't sleep for some reason. And it was sort of hard to breathe. I felt an immense amount of killing intent directed towards me. I cracked open one eye to see a swirly eyebrow disappear down the steps; the killing intent disappeared as well.

The Sun was just starting to rise into the sky. _'Wait, when did I get outside?'_

And my pillow was really squishy and soft too. And warm, like a body. _Ah! _I remembered fighting with that witch about some ridiculous clothes. Then something hit my head and everything went black. I looked down to see the cause of my breathing problems. I was prepared to cut off the breath-catching device until that witch's voice spoke up.

"Oh, Zoro, you're finally awake! I just asked Sanji-kun to bring you something to eat," she said, though I could feel her laughter being forced down her throat. _'I knew it; the witch did this to me.'_ She snaked her arms around my waist and pulled me in closer to readjust her chin on the top of my head. _'… Well, I guess it's not too bad,' _I thought, relaxing into her body.

"You're just the right size now," she smirked, "How tall are you? 4'8? 4'9?"

"I'm 4'9 and a half," I corrected her. The half counts for something too.

Suddenly, the killing intent was back and glaring daggers into my chest. Another mini parfait was placed on the table, which Nami handed to me.

"Thanks Sanji-kun."

"Anything for you, my sweet," this Sanji (I was sure his name was Shirley) replied.

.

-Sanji's POV-

The brat stared at my perfect creation of creamy yogurt swirled together with delectable berries and bits of cheesecake. It made his mouth water just from looking at it. Slowly, he dipped the small spoon into the mixture before bringing it to his lips for a test bite. _'As if anyone would need to test my cooking.'_

Instantly, his eyes shined and he ate with the same ferocity as a tiger. The parfait glass was cleaned in a matter of seconds.

"It's good!"

"… What?" Nami-san and I craned our necks towards the mouth that uttered those words; Robin-chan smiled. Not once since I joined this crew had Zoro complimented my cooking. Ever.

"Wait right there, let me get one of Usopp's recording dials," I joked with disbelief.

"What? It tasted good, so I said so," he stated like it was the most obvious answer.

And maybe it was. That was what normal people (or most people in this crew) would do if they liked a chef's cooking. But, a more obvious fact was that Zoro wasn't normal.

"Oh my," Robin suddenly gasped, engrossed in the newspaper.

In seconds, I was swiftly by her side, "What's is the matter, Robin-chan?"

"I must speak with Doctor-san immediately. This newspaper could be the key in finding a cure for Swordsman-san," she explained, quickly excusing herself to the infirmary.

As soon as she left, the air became thick with tension.

"… Am I sick or something? Is that why Chopping keeps checking up on me?"

Nami-san smacked her forehead and I sighed.

"First of all, his name is _Chopper_. Second, please excuse this idiot for a few moments, Nami-swan," I spoke and grabbed Zoro by his collar, hauling him downstairs.

"Oi! What's your problem?" he squirmed out of my grip as soon as we entered the kitchen.

I grabbed my copy of today's newspaper (maybe if I read it, I would have understood what Robin-chan was startled by) and shoved the date in his face.

"Listen, you were hit by some weird gas that changed you back into a kid. Meaning, _you _aren't supposed to be like this," I motioned to his entire figure, "The older Zoro _is _supposed to be here, and he is apart of this crew."

"What?" the brat scrunched his eyes, staring at the date printed on the fresh newspaper. Suddenly they widened in realization, "Hey, this date is wrong. The newspaper made a mistake."

I smacked my forehead, "No you idiot, you're the mistake."

Silence took over the kitchen. The shitty swordsman continued to stare at my newspaper, his fingers tightening and crumpling the edges.

"Oi! Don't ruin my paper, brat!" I snapped, swatting the paper out of his hands.

"So, I'm supposed to be seven years older..." he trailed off, doing the math in his head.

'_I have broken through his thick skull!' _I thought, feeling accomplished.

"… What am I like?"

I raised an eyebrow at the expectant eyes. I don't know why I didn't expect him to believe me so easily. Was Zoro always this gullible? I was sure that word was reserved only for our shitty captain.

'_Well, it's not like I'm lying, or anything.'_

"Eh, you work out and sleep all the time. You get lost daily, and you're a shitty swordsman who only thinks about cutting things," I stated and Zoro furrowed his eyebrows.

"… Really? Did my hard work pay off? Um, am I the greatest swordsman yet?"

His body was so fidgety and giddy with anticipation; I couldn't help but laugh at him. I don't know; his body language was sort of… cute?

"What?" he asked slightly embarrassed.

"Nothing," I shook my head. '_I must be going crazy.'_

"You aren't the greatest swordsman yet, I just said you're shitty. But, I guess you're getting there. You got a lot stronger," I rubbed the back of my head in slight embarrassment. _'What did I have to be embarrassed for?'_

His mouth quivered a bit before cracking a smile he seemed to be trying so hard to hide.

"Well, that's good, I guess," he turned his back to me. Though, it was easy to tell he was still uncontrollably smiling by how his body stiffened and his ear twitched.

"Yeah, now get out. I need to start prepping for breakfast," I rolled up my sleeves and plunked an apron off a hook. His ears perked up.

"What're you going to make?"

"Food. Now scram."

"Can I help?"

"No—wait, what?" I whipped my head to the side to see the bratty swordsman peeking around me.

_'Oi, oi, is this really that stubborn Zoro? Why does he care so much? And where the hell was his usual guarded glare?' _I thought as I stared down at the expectant eyes once again, _'Seriously, didn't Nami-san and Robin-chan find this weird? I mean, it could be that he's just a brat, and brats are too innocent to have troubles yet.'_

However, those intense eyes were present the first time he woke up. Full of burden, they were. Knowing Zoro, there was no way he could just throw that away. Then, maybe he was just caught up in the crew's (mainly Luffy's) pace? _'Dammit, I hate not being able to understand him.'_

I sighed, "Yeah, sure, whatever. But, don't mess anything up. This food must be perfect for the ladies!"

I grabbed another apron and put it over his head, snickering a bit when the cloth reached his boots.

"Sh-shut up, Swirly," he muttered, tying the apron to his body. My eyebrow twitched.

"Who're you calling Swirly, short-stack?"

"You wanna' go?"

"Pssh, like you'd even be a challenge, brat. Go drink some milk and grow up a bit."

That did it. In the blink of an eye, his boot connected with my shin, and an excruciating pain zipped up my leg.

"What's with this ship and telling me to drink milk? You all have something for milk?!"

"That's it!" I shouted and hit him on the top of his head, "If you're going to act like that, get out! This isn't a playground."

Zoro suddenly got quiet, holding the growing bump on the top of his head. He continued to stare at his boots as if they were the most fascinating things.

"…I want to help though," he mumbled slowly, pouting.

I couldn't help but smirk and ruffle his hair; "I guess it's fine with that attitude." I handed him a whisk, large bowl, and three cartons of eggs.

"Here, start by whisking the eggs."

.

"Sanji-kun! Have you seen Zoro? Chopper was looking for him—oh," Nami stopped her sentence as a warm smile graced her lips. I guess, walking into the kitchen to see Zoro and I making breakfast was a pretty-shocking revelation.

"Yeah, we're almost finished up here. Breakfast will be ready in a few, my sweet!" I grinned lovingly.

Zoro continued to set the plates. He had sprinkles of flour decorating his hair and on his left cheek. Some of the eggs he whisked were dried on his apron while some dough dotted his nose.

"Finished," he announced before pulling off the apron.

I sighed and grabbed one of the dry dishtowels; "You have flour and dough all over your face. Don't bring that into the infirmary."

I carefully rubbed his cheek and nose and patted his head. Zoro scrunched his eyes up to keep flour from getting in. _'I bet he doesn't even know how adorable he looks right now… is what Nami-san is probably thinking.' _ I shook my head to clear my thoughts. _'Maybe I'm getting sick.'_

"Well, Sanji-kun, can you spare Zoro for a few minutes?" Nami-san asked, her smile only growing wider.

"Wh-what? Of course, why would I—you don't have to ask—he was—of course Nami-swan!" I stuttered, pushing the shitty swordsman towards her, my hands shaking. Yes, most definitely sick.

"Don't get so worked up Sanji-kun! I'm just playing around," Nami-san laughed as she walked back out the door with Zoro (who was already yawning again).

I sighed (I've been doing that a lot lately) and slumped back into one of the chairs. Why was I getting so worked up in the first place? I was already tired and breakfast hadn't even been served yet.

'_Well, I better get to it then,'_ I thought, already stuffing the morning into a deep dark corner of my brain. I sauntered over to the prepared food and began filling up plates.


	4. Chapter 4: Gone

Mayeri

09/30/2013

One Piece

**Shaving Off Seven Years**

_Chapter 4: Gone_

.

**A/N: Sorry everyone for the long update! I started college a couple months ago and—excuse my language—holy fucking shit! I was given a ton of work and it hasn't slowed down one bit (that's what I get for going into engineering). So, thank you for waiting so long! Enjoy.**

**PS: if it helps, I would go back and read the story over (honestly, I had to just to remember what I wrote in the first place…)**

-Zoro's POV-

458… 459… 500. I barely got my arm to push back up on the 500th one-arm handstand push-up. I stepped down and exhaled, examining my body. Again, there was zero change in my muscle mass. For some reason, I couldn't push myself past 500 reps of anything. And this has been going on for a while now. _Have I reached my limit? _I thought, but quickly shook my head. Sanji said I was really strong when I grew up, and he seemed like the type of person who was bad at giving complements to people (men in general). And if I could get through this once, then a second time should be a breeze!

I sighed, wiping sweat from my forehead. _What can I do to get stronger?_

.

_ I walked with Nami into Chopper's office. I could have gone there myself since that was where I slept for the past few days. Robin and Chopper were conversing about something serious before we walked in, and they abruptly stopped talking._

_ "Ah, Zoro!" Chopper hopped off his little stool and patted the bed before grabbing his notes, "Please sit down."_

_ I sauntered over to the bed and plopped down. I was still tired from making breakfast with Sanji and wanted to take a nap as soon as possible._

_ "Robin and I have been talking about this article posted in today's newspaper," he handed the newspaper to me._

_ Nami sat down next to me, leaning on my shoulder to sneak a peek at the contents as well. As soon as she read the title, her eyes widened and flickered over to Robin and Chopper._

_MARINES CREATE HOPE: A new experimental cannonball with properties to revert criminal Devil Fruit users to the time before they received their powers!_

_The up-and-coming Dr. Anderson and Marine Vice-Admiral…_

_ "… What's a devil fruit?" I asked, squinting at the page. I have never heard of that before. What is a new type of food?_

_ "Devil Fruit is a mystical fruit found in the world that can give the eater many different and varying kinds of strange and interesting abilities depending on the type and variation of the fruit itself," Robin explained, "For example, Doctor-san, Musician-san, Captain-san, and I are Devil Fruit Users."_

_ Instantly, two other arms popped out of Robin's body and disappeared in a flurry of flower petals. "I consumed the Hana Hana no Mi fruit. Meaning, I can sprout body parts from a chosen surface."_

_ I furrowed my eyebrows. What the hell? Before I knew it, my mouth hung open slightly. …But that would explain how the captain was able to grab me out of nowhere. Maybe he ate an elastic fruit that makes his arms all rubbery and stretchy._

_ "But with the creation of this new weapon, our devil fruit powers can be taken away from us," Chopper stated, biting his lip before turning to me, "This is where you come in, Zoro."_

_ "Huh? But I never ate one of this fruits… unless I did in the future?" I pinched the brink of my nose. This was all still so confusing._

_ Chopper shook his head, "No, you never ate a devil fruit, which is why it is so strange that this drug worked on you. But, it helped me identify key chemicals in side your body that are keeping the drug in effect: seastone and bicitus*. The seastone was enhanced to remove the devil fruit/source of power from the user's body while the bicitus sustains the age change."_

_ "It is just a theory, but I believe this new and enhanced seastone works to remove any source of power from even a normal person. Your source of exponential power must have become evident around this age," Robin deducted and Chopper nodded._

_ "I agree with Robin… it just makes me feel so intimidated that the world government created such a powerful weapon that could work against anyone," Chopper shuddered, rubbing his arm with a hoof, "B-but if I cure Zoro, then we can fight back with an antidote!"_

.

-Usopp's POV-

It was the middle of the night, and I could not sleep. I twisted and turned, thinking it was my position, but for some reason, I just couldn't drift off into Usoppland. I sighed in frustration before pushing me off the bed and dragging my feet out of the men's quarters. _Maybe some fresh air will help._

_Grunt. Grunt. Pant. Pant._

I paused. _What are those noises? Hard breathing? _ I peeked around a corner to see mini Zoro gracefully step out of a one-handed handstand. His body was covered in a thin layer of sweat, his skin shimmering under the light glow of the Moon. He wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and examined his body. _What is he doing up so late? _I mean, come on, it's Zoro for crying out loud! Why wasn't he sleeping? Zoro never cared if we saw him exercising before, so why was his mini self acting all secretive?

He picked up his discarded shirt and used it wipe off some more sweat. It's funny how I didn't notice that he wasn't wearing a shirt. I could finally understand Nami's sudden interest in my picture-taking dials. Almost.

"Why are you watching me?" Zoro turned around and glared at the corner I was currently hiding behind. _Eep! _ Sheepishly, I stepped out from my hiding (peeping) place. He narrowed his eyes at my figure before sighing.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing… I was just trying to get some air, ha-ha. What are _you _doing up?" I asked, scratching the back of my head. There was an awkward air among us.

"Exercising," his face scrunched up in frustration, "but nothing seems to be working. I can only go up to 500 reps."

_And that's still more than me! _I wanted to comically fall over, but kept my stance. Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to me. I lifted my head and puffed my chest out a bit.

"Well, you know, the brilliant me is a master of exercising and weight training. I always helped the older you train to be the best!"

"…Oh… really…" he trailed off in monotone, his eyes not meeting mine.

"Why do you sound so disinterested?! I-I'm not lying! Come, I'll show you how it's done," I huffed, a vein popping out of my head. _How could he not believe the Great Usopp!? _I pouted in my head before grabbing his arm. He wasn't kidding when he said nothing was working! My hand could wrap around most of his arm.

I led Zoro up to his crow's nest/look out area, his weights and equipment still lying everywhere. He seemed mildly interested in the crow's nest and gave the place a once over. Zoro raised his eyebrows when his eyes landed on the humongous weights stacked in the corner.

"Are those yours?" he asked, astounded. His emerald eyes stared at me expectantly.

"O-of course they're mine! But not even those mighty weights are enough for the Great Usopp's muscles!" I laughed, flexing my biceps slightly.

Zoro sighed, looking down at his suddenly interesting bare feet.

"… sorry," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"Come again?" I answered all too quickly. Obviously my ears aren't working because I did _not_ just hear the ruthless swordsman _apologize _to me. Maybe it's the exhaustion playing tricks on my ears.

"I misjudged you, thinking you were a wimp. I didn't know you put in so much effort to get stronger," he admitted, still not meeting my bulging eyes.

_He thought I was a wimp! I outa… _I shook my head. I probably shouldn't get angry with Zoro, even if it's his younger self. It might not end well for me!

"I accept your humble apology!" I raised my chin before yawning, "How about we get some sleep, and start in the morning?"

Zoro nodded his head in agreement and followed me down the ladder. Jumping onto the wooden planks, I watched the young swordsman carefully maneuver himself down the rope ladder. Thinking about it now, Zoro is definitely more docile as a child. He's less intimidating for sure. Even when glared at me for—ahem—spying, I wasn't as scared as usual (not that I get scared easily). Maybe I could actually build a real relationship with him… not just admire him from the sidelines…

"O-Oi, behind y-"

.

Ouch. The first thing I felt was a throbbing pain in the back of my head. Then, I realized I was waking up on the infirmary bed. _What the hell? …Don't tell me I've shrunk too! _I quickly scanned my body to find me completely the same. _Phew…_

"Oh, Usopp, you're awake! How are you feeling?" I heard Chopper's bright voice say.

"Uh, fine I guess. My head hurts a lot," I replied, raising a hand to a visible bump on the back of my head, "What happened?"

"Well, that's what we would like to ask you…" he trailed off, taking a seat on the only stool in the infirmary. In that moment, I finally noticed the others standing in the room as well. Brook's lack of jokes. Robin's tense smile. Franky's fidgeting. Nami's frantic eyes. Sanji's irritable facial expression. Luffy's hat-covered seriousness. But no mini swordsman.

"Uhm, where's Zoro?"

.

*: Bicitus is just a name I made up, not a real drug.

**A/N: Also, I have recently discovered that Zoro's eyes are not green (whoops!); they're black (I think). But, since I already started with green, I'm ending with green!**

**Sorry I am cutting this chapter pretty short. I just really wanted to update SOMETHING before I dive back into the pain and misery of college work and exams.**

**Until Next Time!**


	5. Chapter 5: Vice-Admiral Raizen

Mayeri

10/19/2013

One Piece

**Shaving Off Seven Years**

_Chapter 5: Vice-Admiral Raizen_

.

**Hey guys, really sorry again this is taking so long to update. The next one will probably be a while too, so I made sure to make this chapter EXTRA long!**

**Enjoy.**

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-Zoro's POV-

Something cold and wet splashed onto my face and my eyes snapped open. It was dark. The air was ominous and thick. The only thing I could hear was the faint sound of waves. The ground I was situated on felt like wooden planks. The wet substance splashed onto my face once again.

"What the…" I trailed off.

And like a flood, the memories flowed through my head. Climbing down the ladder. Usopp's head getting bashed in. The large, unruly men grabbing me. And then everything went black. I was sure I knocked out quite a few of those men… so how did I end up in this place?

Suddenly, a bright light crawled through the dark room. The sounds of the waves and the ocean became more prominent. I squinted at its spontaneous presence.

"Finally awake I see," the annoyingly lisp-y voice said, "Alright, let's go. The captain's calling for you."

.

-Usopp's POV-

I lay lifelessly on the infirmary bed, feeling as if I did not belong there. Considering how Zoro was in a worse situation than I, how could I even begin to take it easy? He didn't even have his precious swords! They're still lying against the wall next to his discarded shirt! Yet, Chopper wouldn't let me leave this room until the dizziness spells stopped. Luffy, Sanji, Robin, and Nami were discussing what plans of action out on the deck. Brook aided Franky in preparing the ship since I was "out of commission" for the moment. And Chopper sat in his doctor's stool trying to figure out how to reverse Zoro's symptoms, throwing a glance towards my way every now and then. _I don't think Chopper's had a wink of sleep since the warship-cannonball ambush_.

I sat up and sighed, Chopper snapped his head in my direction, disapproving my actions.

"Hey, the spells are gone. Plus, I'm just going to the bathroom," I lied, shaking my head for confirmation. My head groaned at the action, my eyes blurring over just a bit, but I feigned wellness and sauntered out of the infirmary. I wanted to see what the rest of the ship was preparing to do. I wanted to help. _I bet the guys who stole Zoro are really scary_ my mind pointed out and I shuddered in fear. Even if that may be true… I had to suck it up. This was my fault for letting my guard down.

"I have come to one conclusion for the kidnappers. Considering the article and the orders to test out the devil-fruit-extracting weapon, the perpetrators must be these Dr. Anderson and Vice-Admiral Raizen," Robin spoke softly, glancing up at me as I walked onto the deck.

I sat down next to Luffy. Nami crossed her arms and nodded in agreement.

"They are the only suspects I can think of. I mean, the kidnappers would have taken Usopp too and turned him in if they were regular marines. Those guys must've been under special order to retrieve Zoro and only Zoro," she replied.

"I hope they do not attempt any means of experimentation on Mr. Swordsman…" Robin trailed off slightly and I winced.

_Maybe I should've stayed in the infirmary… _The conversation just made me feel guiltier. Zoro could be taken apart molecule-by-molecule right this moment.

"Oi Usopp," Sanji called and I snapped my head up, "We aren't blaming you, if that's what you're thinking. This isn't your fault."

I bit my lip and laughed nervously. Even if Sanji said that, I still couldn't help but blame myself. Plus, I haven't heard Luffy utter a single word. I slowly turned in his direction. Luffy was hunched over, his hat and black bangs shielding his face while his chest heaved slowly… _Wait_. I lift his head up to reveal a snot bubble growing and shrinking with his steady breathing. His eyes were shut and his mouth was open, letting out light snores and a thin line of drool.

A vein popped out of Sanji's forehead as he crushed his cigarette, lifted his leg, and struck down hard on Luffy's head.

"Wake up shitty captain! You especially need to listen," he snapped and took out another cigarette to smoke.

Sporting a large red bump, Luffy grumbled, "I already have a plan. We find the ship with Zoro on it and I pummel everyone to the ground."

.

-Zoro's POV-

The lispy-voice guy grabbed my arm and dragged me up wooden steps and into the brightly shining light. A rattling sound of metal clanked with its surroundings. _Damn, how didn't I notice these bastards chained me up?_ I would've yanked my arm back from the guy, but my legs were chained together (along with my arms behind my back) and I was unable to walk. Unfortunately, he was the only thing keeping me up right.

I squinted when I was brought out into the open air, taking in my surroundings. I was definitely out on a ship… a _marine _ship. But, what did they want with me? I hadn't done anything (that I was aware of) to upset the marines. _Unless… my older self… but how would they know it was me… ARGH! This is so confusing! _ The lispy-voice guy finally stopped dragging me and grabbed my hair, yanking my head up. I growled, glaring him straight in the eye.

"Hah, to think _you _turned out to be THE Roronoa Zoro. Should've known the name you gave my brother and I was false. Well, I'll be damned," a booming voice assaulted my ears.

There stood a tall man with broad shoulders. His skin was tanned, probably from many days out on sea, and his hair was white as snow.

"You probably don't remember me since even I have changed from seven years ago."

I scanned the man's face. A large slash ran through his right eye, down the right side of his neck, and pausing at his collarbone. His eyebrows were thin and as sharp as his cold, onyx eyes. _Hmm, the scar looks familiar…_

"Che, I don't remember bastards. Better yet, have we met?" I taunted, smirking up at the large man. He grinned back, pushing off of the rusted metal railing he was leaning on.

"Haven't fixed that mouth I see? Maybe I should fix it for you."

In an instant, he stood before me, grabbing at my neck and pulling up to eye level. I suppressed the urge to lash out in a fit of coughs. His long fingers wrapped perfectly around my neck, tightening with every second. I looked at him with a challenging glare and his eye twitched.

"You little fucker. Not even one ounce of remorse for what you did to my brother? Well then, we'll see how long that lasts," he spat in my face before turning towards his men, "Deal with him. And when he starts to break, inform me. I'll be in the captain's quarters."

.

"_Pwah!_" I spat as another bucket of freezing ass water was dumped over my head. I lay sprawled on the deck, huffing and growing angry from the snickers floating in the air.

One of the guys grabbed my chin and yanked me up to feet again. Only to be kicked in the back and sent flying into the railing, slamming my head against the metal.

"Grr, you just wait… once I get out these chains… you'll regret messing with me…" I barked between breaths. My vision was blurring. A metal tang filled my mouth from biting my tongue during the kick.

I slumped against the railing, shivering uncontrollably. My wet, freezing hair stuck to my face in attempt to warm up. My lips glistened from excessive panting. _I probably look so pathetic right now… If only I had my swords…_ I honestly couldn't believe I left them on the ship, regardless of the random hijacking. Without my swords, I felt so… naked, useless, open.

The marine thugs crowded around me, pleased smiles on their ugly mugs.

"Give in yet, kid?"

"C'mon, if we beat ya up some more, yer cute lil' face 'ill get messed up."

"Yeah, Captain found a real cute one. Shame it's a boy."

"Hey, this is supposed to be Roronoa Zoro, remember!? Let's torture his sorry ass while we still can! Or have you forgotten what he's done to our comrades?"

"_… How 'bout tormenting him in a way he'll never forget?_"

.

.

.

-Usopp's POV-

I paced around the deck, constantly looking around at the vast sea. Where was the marine's ship?! We had been tracking Raizen for a little over two days! Fortunately, Robin was able to lock onto his position—or at least his theoretical location. We don't really know if he will even be in this direction, but it was all we had. And according to Robin, we should have spotted the ship already!

I rubbed my tired eyes, smacking my face a bit to wake my body up. None of us had slept in those two days. Not even Luffy. He has been stuck upon the Sunny Go's head, only moving when Sanji called for food. Not having the swordsman aboard had everyone on edge—scratch that—had everyone close to breaking. Nothing felt right without him working out in the Crow's Nest or snoring in the verdant grass. Things were already thrown off balance when he turned into a fourteen-year old.

"I SEE A MARINE SHIP!" Luffy's voice resonated through the air.

I snapped my head in his direction, hearing footsteps stomping closer from all directions, and watched as he pulled his arm back in attempt to stretch to the dot that seemed to be on the other side of the world.

_Zoro! We're coming!_

.

-Zoro's POV-

An unmistakably heavy force collided with my stomach. It felt as if all my organs were smashed into my back, digging into my spine. My lungs were squeezed shut. All air leaving my body in a matter of seconds. And the sickeningly clear sound of breaking ribs filled my ears. The feelings of blood pooling around the inside of my body and flowing up my throat.

"I ate the omoi-omoi fruit and became a heavy man. It's pretty handy to control gravity through your fists," the captain's sick voice cackled, gracing me once again with his presence. I slipped up. My strong spirit crumbled as soon as all those hands touched my body. I couldn't help it. I meant to tough it out, but a foreign feeling filled me… fear.

My body crashed into the wall behind me. My shoulder blades stuck into the wall, immobilizing me. A large cloud of dust, dirt, and splinters engulfed me.

No matter how hard I tried to push myself back up, no matter how much I tried, I couldn't move. It was nerve wrecking. My hands, my eyes, my legs all trembled. The pain was unbearable. I grit my teeth.

I was beaten, taken advantage of, and I couldn't do a single thing about it. Even when my chains broke, even when I was able scramble three swords together…

My eyes widened in realization.

This captain was perfectly intact, not a scratch on him. Yet, my body hit its limit. I couldn't push me anymore. I couldn't get any stronger. There was no way I could beat this guy. If I couldn't beat him, I couldn't progress. _After all I've done… does this mean… I have to… give up my dreams?_ This was it?

_**Never.**_

I couldn't accept that. I had to become stronger. Weakness was only an obstacle. _If I want to be the best swordsman, I need to be extraordinary. Nothing can stop me. I must surpass all obstacles._ My body twitched. I had to be the best. Kuina was waiting for me, watching me.

_**Snap.**_

_I won't be stopped._

_._

-Usopp's POV-

"Zoro!" I yelled frantically.

As soon as Sunny Go was close enough to the marine ship, I boarded Mini Merry without a second thought, speeding over in a matter of minutes and ignoring the calls of my comrades.

No one noticed me standing rooted to the spot on their ship. All eyes were focused on the large cloud of smoke encircling Zoro's beaten and battered figure.

_Dammit!_ If I hadn't acted so lame that night and got myself knocked out before I could even fight, Zoro wouldn't even be in this condition. I clenched my fist hard enough to draw blood. _I failed to stand by him again._

Out of nowhere, the cloud of smoke was cut in two, dispersing at an accelerated rate. Zoro's figure emerged from the smoke, sluggishly sliding both feet forward. He panted hysterically. Blood gushed from cuts and punctures scattered around his torso and limbs, dripping from his mouth. I was about to call his name once more, but bit my tongue. One look at his eyes and my voice ran for the high hills. His pupils shrunk to small little beads that almost looked black. They darted around intensely, a bloodthirsty glare emanating from them.

I stood rooted in my spot. The docile, fourteen-year old Zoro was nowhere to be found. He now gave off the aura of a cornered wild animal. _It was_ _**dangerous.**_ And I could feel it, a rapidly growing power rumbling from within.

"Hoh, so you can still stand? Impressive," Raizen (I'm assuming) laughed, "However, this pain and humiliation is nothing compared to what you caused my brother."

He glowered in Zoro's direction and dashed towards him. The strange, blue power encased his right arm as he set up his attack.

Raizen directed his pressurized fist towards Zoro's face, who only glared in return. In an instant, Zoro's swords blocked his face, stopping the attack in its entirety.

_Crack!_

The sound of breaking bones was loud. Jutted pieces of bone stuck out of Zoro's arms. Blood pooled around the areas, the stretched skin turning purple and black. Yet, he didn't budge. A shiver ran down my spine and my legs quivered slightly. That enormous amount of power was rumbling again… but Zoro's body couldn't handle it.

Quickly, Zoro flipped his blades and pushed forward. He swiftly sliced through Raizen's torso in the shape of a large 'X'. Immediately, the swordsman turned and slashed through his back twice. Zoro staggered over his feet, his entire body was convulsing. But, he wouldn't stop moving. It was so disturbing to watch; yet I couldn't move an inch.

"You damn brat!" Raizen cursed before jumping back.

Only to be punched with a spinning, large black fist made of hardened rubber.

"Elephant Gatling!"

His body was crushed into the railing without warning.

"Diablo Jambe!"

Instantly, Raizen was kicked with such fiery ferocity, his body flew into the sky like a burning ragdoll, dropping back onto the warship deck with a terrible _thud._ He was taken care of by the strength of only two Straw Hat pirates. Any other marines had been taken care of in the blink of an eye by swift kicks.

"ZORO!" Luffy's voice rumbled loudly through the air, causing me to involuntarily flinch. I stepped forward a bit before breaking out into a run towards the swordsman, as if the yell gave life to my rigid body.

I was about to reach out and touch Zoro, but he jumped back and pulled his swords back into a fighting stance. Suddenly, he took a step forward, slashing his swords in my direction, until his body… shut down. He spat blood from his mouth, dropping foreign swords in an irrepressible manner, and dropped forward as his eyes rolled backwards. I wrapped my arms around him before he could hit the floor, my pants soaking up his blood. And in that moment, I was frozen to the spot again.

Sanji and Luffy appeared to my sides, Luffy whisking Zoro from my hands and dashing back to the ship without even blinking. Sanji darted not to far from him.

_There was so much blood…_

.

-Chopper's POV-

My heart ripped in two as I watched Zoro convulse on the bed. When Luffy burst into the infirmary with a body so broken, I doubted I could even fix it. It reminded me of Thriller Bark, but worse. And I never want to be reminded of that place. Somehow, his body created a counteracting hormone against the enhanced seastone drug. His power was not being blocked anymore and had been returning to his body in an accelerating rate. As it was, Zoro's body could not handle the crazy amount of power the older Zoro would normally contain. I don't know how many bones I had to put back in place, stitching, stopping internal and external bleeding—I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

I frantically pulled on my fur as I sat on my stool staring at the chemical formulas and equations I was analyzing before. I had only come a little way in understand these complex chemicals and their components. With this development, there was no way I could compile an antidote! Being so pressed for time, there was only one thing I could do.

.

**Sorry if the chapter seemed sort of rushed. More information in the next chapter!**

**Until next time!**


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